Calling the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “a wall of steel,” President Donald Trump says the U.S. is in total control. Why Iran disputes that and claims it is still closed.
Plus, an Apache helicopter crashes near Fort Hood, Texas, killing two soldiers and sparking a major fire. An investigation looks to determine why the so-called “most advanced aerial fighting vehicle in the world” went down.
And the White House press secretary says she’s leaving the administration. The key reason Karoline Leavitt is headed home at the end of the month.
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US and Iran both claim control over the Strait of Hormuz as ships remain unwilling to pass through
It’s not entirely clear who controls the Strait of Hormuz, as both Trump and Iranian officials continue to make opposing claims.
Trump took to social media overnight, reiterating his assertion that the United States has “total control” over the strait, adding, “I think we will keep it.”
Iran continues to dispute that, saying it controls the strait, leaving ships wary of passing through the key shipping lane.
Reuters reported that only eight vessels have been tracked transiting the strait, marking a one-week low.
Iran’s Persian Gulf strait authority, which was recently created to police maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, said in a post of its own that Trump’s assertions, “Do not change the reality,” and that the strait will remain closed until Washington agrees to Tehran’s conditions.
Iran has also accused the U.S. of committing war crimes in violation of the Geneva Conventions, specifically alleging that the U.S. has targeted civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, dozens of countries around the world and the European Union have called on Iran to halt executions of protesters and to free political prisoners. The call comes after Iran publicly hanged two men in January who were accused of killing four police officers during nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic.
Certain cabinet members stayed on decoy jet after Trump left on catering truck to board another plane
New details have emerged about Trump’s decoy flight from Turkey last month.
Multiple sources said the decision to pull off the elaborate ruse, in which Trump secretly transferred from the old Air Force One to a military aircraft in a catering truck, was made just a few hours before takeoff, after U.S. and Turkish intelligence detected an Iranian plot to launch a missile at the presidential jet.
Intelligence officials also reportedly believed the Iranians had information about Trump’s movements while in Turkey for the NATO summit.
Two of the most senior members of Trump’s cabinet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with several other top White House aides, stayed on the original plane for the trip home.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined Trump on the secret flight.
2 Army soldiers killed in Texas helicopter crash that sparked wildfire that forced evacuations
An Army Apache helicopter crashed violently into a central Texas field, killing two soldiers and triggering a grass fire that forced evacuations. The AH-64 Apache went down Wednesday afternoon near Salado, about 50 miles north of Austin.
The first 911 call came in around 1:30 p.m. local time.
Later that afternoon, authorities said the fire was still out of control, with evacuations underway and a nearby road shut down. By 7 p.m., the fire had burned 155 acres, but crews had it 85% contained.
The fire didn’t damage any homes or buildings, and authorities said no one else was hurt.
The helicopter departed from Fort Hood. The Army has not released the soldiers’ names. The criminal investigation division at Fort Hood will lead the inquiry.
Karoline Leavitt to step down as press secretary, citing family priorities
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she will leave the Trump administration just weeks after returning from maternity leave. The 28-year-old, who made history as the youngest White House press secretary, will step down at the end of this month after about a year and a half in the role.
Leavitt gave birth to her second child — a daughter — in May, and said managing two young children along with one of the most demanding jobs in Washington has become overwhelming.
Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours… https://t.co/4jyW61DGGh pic.twitter.com/xny1yccuBn
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) August 12, 2026
In a message on X, she shared that since returning to work, she feels she cannot be the best mother her children deserve while also dedicating the necessary time and attention to her job. She described her decision as “bittersweet,” but noted she isn’t completely leaving Trump’s circle.
Trump said that Leavitt will become one of his top outside advisers and an influential Republican voice heading into the midterms. He also praised her as one of the best White House press secretaries in history.
The White House has not yet announced her successor.
DOJ convenes rare special grand jury
The Justice Department has taken a rare step in Washington by convening a special grand jury to examine some of the most contentious cases handled by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, The Washington Post reported.
While it’s uncertain which specific case(s) it will review, this grand jury is not typical. Its 23 members can concentrate on a single case or a group of related cases and may even produce a public report listing individuals accused of misconduct, regardless of whether they are charged.
The Post reported that Steven Vandervelden, a close ally of Pirro who has previously worked on major investigations, will oversee the grand jury. These investigations include the probe into former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and whether D.C. police deliberately manipulated crime stats.
This development follows Trump’s public criticism of Pirro for dropping the case against Olympian David Hearn related to the reflecting pool vandalism. However, the Post noted that prosecutors had already submitted the paperwork for this grand jury before the case was dropped.
Such special grand juries are very rare, and legal experts have stated that there is no recent example of a similar grand jury being convened in Washington.
A rare total solar eclipse captivates Europe
What a sight in various parts of Europe on Wednesday: a total solar eclipse as the moon passed between the sun and the earth, turning day into night with the sky taking on an eerie gray hue.
A fantastic view in Spain as a total solar eclipse took place across the northern and central parts of the country. The sun gradually disappeared, the first time this had happened there since 1905. Some of this spectacular footage was captured in Madrid.
(Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images 
David Ramos/Getty Images 
(Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images 
Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images 
Luciano Lima/Getty Images 
Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images 
Victor J Blanco/Getty Images 
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
People in Portugal, Greenland and Iceland also witnessed the phenomenon.
Totality lasted less than three minutes, with the maximum duration reported off Iceland’s west coast. It ended over the Mediterranean.
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AI isn’t making you dumber. But it may be changing how you think
Two eighth-graders who were dating got into a fight. That’s not unusual in middle school, except for this: Neither said a word to the other.
Instead, each opened ChatGPT, typed out their side of the story and let the chatbot speak for them, trading messages back and forth through the chatbot. The chatbot didn’t solve anything and the conflict escalated.
“It ended up going from like a tinder to a fire, and they couldn’t really figure out what was wrong,” said Amanda Bickerstaff, CEO of AI for Education, who heard the story from a school leader.
Eventually, a school administrator stepped in and did something rather simple. They put the two kids in the same room and made them actually talk. It worked, and the fighting stopped.
